How to Dispose of Wood: Recycling, Reusing, Trashing, & More

Easiest ways to get rid of a large amount of wood fast

Co-authored by Kathryn Kellogg and Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 24, 2022 References

Trees, Branches, and Damaged Wood

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Construction Lumber

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Furniture and Wood Items

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Warnings

Whether you’ve just finished trimming tree branches or you’re done remodeling a hardwood floor, you may end up with a large amount of leftover wood on your hands. But does it belong in the trash bin or should you set it out next to your normal trash pickup? What if your city refuses to take the wood? Luckily, it’s easy to figure out what your best path forward is here, and we’ll help you get rid of that excess wood in no time. Read on to learn everything you need to know about getting rid of yard waste, bulk wood, construction materials, furniture, and more!

Things You Should Know

Wood is not a hazardous material, and you can typically bag it up and throw it out with your normal trash.
If the wood can be repurposed for construction, reach out to local nonprofits to see if they can find a use for it.
You can take large sums of wood to a disposal facility. If the wood can be repurposed, a contractor will probably come take it off of your hands for you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Trees, Branches, and Damaged Wood

1
Contact your city’s waste department to find their regulations. Nearly every city will collect branches, twigs, tree trunks, old lumber, and broken-down wood items. Some cities will pick them up with the normal trash, while others will require a special pickup appointment. Call or email the city’s waste department and ask what kind of wood they’ll take to learn more.^{[1]
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- If you have a long piece of wood that would be too long for regular disposal, cut or chop it down to size.
2
Tie the wood into bundles with twine or rope if necessary. Many cities ask residents to tie bundles of loose wood up to make disposal easier for the waste workers. Stack the wood in small piles to knot together with rope or twine. Make sure each bundle is easy to pick up and move. If the piles are too large per your city’s regulations, the disposal service may refuse to take them.^{[2]
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- Avoid tying the wood up with other material, such as tape or nylon twine. They have to be sorted out of the woodpiles, so most collection services don’t want them.
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3
Place the wood out with your regular garbage service for collection. Wait until the night before the pickup date to move the bundles out with your trash. Put the wood next to any garbage bins or bags. Your normal waste crew will pick the wood up.^{[3]
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4
Schedule a pickup for large bundles if garbage crews won’t take them. In some cities, you can only get wood and yard waste removed if you schedule a special pickup with the city’s waste department or you hire a private waste management company to come scoop it up. Call the city’s department and ask what kind of options they have for getting rid of big branches and other yard waste.^{[4]
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- If your city doesn’t offer scheduled pickup, you’ll have to call a private waste company.
5
Drop the wood off at a recycling or waste center yourself. Look online to find a wood waste recycling dropoff site near you. Toss the wood in your vehicle and drive it over there yourself during the hours of operation to have it recycled.^{[5]
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- Most cities will have a free dropoff site for yard waste and natural materials like that.
6
Mulch wood to reuse it as a fertilizer in your garden or lawn. Rent a wood chipper. Feed the branches slowly and carefully into the chipper to shred. Then, scatter the wood chips around growing plants to help keep the soil moist and weed-free. If you have lots of large branches to get rid of, mulching can be worth the cost.^{[6]
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- Check with local hardware and power equipment rental stores. They’ll typically charge $200 to $400 per rental for a wood chipper.
7
Burn wood in a fireplace to get rid of it. If you have a fireplace, chop the wood into sizable pieces with an axe or a maul. Burn the wood in your fireplace over time until you’ve gotten rid of everything.^{[7]
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- Scrap wood can be used as bonfire material! If you have an outdoor firepit, you can burn the wood outside so long as it’s legal where you live.
- Do not burn treated or painted lumber. Burning that stuff releases toxic chemicals into the air.
- If you’re unable to dispose of the wood yourself, ask if your neighbors want it. Some people will even pay for scrap wood.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Construction Lumber

1
Sort the untreated lumber from pressure-treated and painted wood. Treated wood often has a green color that fades to gray as it ages, or it will have an identifying ink stamp like "L PP2." Painted wood is easier to spot, and it can't be recycled unless you can scrape the paint off. The chemicals from these types of wood cannot be removed and are harmful to the environment, so they are disposed of separately.^{[8]
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- You can throw out construction lumber the same way you’d throw out yard waste if you want, but you might as well reuse it or find it a new home.
- Products like particleboard and plywood are usually treated.
- If you hired a contractor to do construction work, they are responsible for sorting and removing wood waste. You only have to do it if you did the work on your own.
2
Reuse scrap wood to repurpose it and save money. There are many projects you can create out of old building materials, from planter boxes to a brand new deck. If you don’t have a use for your old scrap wood, give it to someone else or take it to a recycling or salvage center in your city.^{[9]
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- Scrap wood and crates can be repurposed to create end tables, shelves, and bookshelves.
- Salvaged-wood dealers charge a lower fee than other disposal services, so look into giving them untreated lumber.^{[10]
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3
Sell usable lumber that’s in good condition online. If you’ve got a good variety and quantity of unused construction lumber and you’re not in a rush to get rid of it, sell it online! Take photos and post your ad on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Wait for buyers to reach out and negotiate on price before arranging the pickup.^{[11]
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- How you price your lumber depends on the quality and quantity, but if it’s truly pristine and construction-ready, consider selling it for 5-10% less than what you bought it for.
4
Donate the lumber to a local nonprofit that could use it. Look online for a nonprofit organization near you that will happily take your used lumber. Habitat for Humanity, Donate A Desk Foundation, and wood banks will all happily accept your donations. If you aren’t going to use the lumber and it isn’t worth much, you might as well give it to someone in need!^{[12]
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Give a small amount of usable lumber away to your neighbors. Hop on your local neighborhood Facebook group, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist and list your wood for free. Let the people in your area show up and pick the wood up as they reach out. It’s best to give usable wood a new home if you don’t have any use for it.^{[13]
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- If you live in a dense area, you can probably set the wood out on your front sidewalk with a free sign.
6
Pull nails out of the wood if you’re trashing it. Use a claw hammer or nails if you’re going to trash or recycle construction lumber. The nails can destroy recycling equipment and chippers, so remove them in advance. Contact your city to see if they’ll pick it up or drop the wood off at a local recycling plant.^{[14]
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- Remove what you’re able to. If you’re unable to get a nail stuck deep inside of the wood, let the disposal service know. As long as the nail isn’t sticking out in a dangerous way, you can usually get rid of the wood.
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Take treated and painted wood to a disposal facility if necessary. To find a suitable facility, contact local waste management services or your waste management department. They will tell you where to transport the wood. Toss the wood in your vehicle and drive it to the facility.^{[15]
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- If you have more wood than you can fit in your car, rent a truck or contact a hauling company. Another option is to take a little bit at a time.
- Note that some communities have waste disposal events where you can dump scrap wood for free. Contact your local waste management department for more information.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Furniture and Wood Items

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Contact your city waste management to pickup trashed furniture. Call the waste management service you use to regularly dispose of trash. If they’ll take your furniture, set it out along with your normal trash or schedule a pickup.^{[16]
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- Take advantage of any free disposal services offered in your area. Some city services let you get rid of bulk items up to 5 times a year.
- Smaller items that will fit in as trash bag can just go out with your normal trash.
2
Hire a bulk disposal service if free pickup isn’t available. Contact a local junk pickup company to come and haul your furniture away. It may cost $50-100 depending on the size of your item.^{[17]
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- The transportation fee for these services varies a lot depending on what you’re getting rid of and how far it needs to be moved. Most junk removal services tend to start at $75.
- Another option is to take your items directly to a disposal facility. Call the facility to ask about their policies first. You will have to drive the items there yourself, so you may need to rent a trunk to move big pieces of furniture.
3
Reuse old wood furniture by giving it away to someone in need. If you have furniture or household items in good condition, try taking them to a secondhand store or nonprofit. Call the store in advance to schedule a drop off, then drive the items there yourself. Another option is to give them to neighbors or family members.^{[18]
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- Nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, and the Salvation Army will take your used furniture.
- Most types of wood furniture and household goods are made with treated wood or have been painted. Since they cannot be recycled, the best way to dispose of them is to reuse them.
- For example, wooden toys and quality furniture like desks are usually made with treated wood or have paint on them. Find someone to take them off your hands.
4
Recycle wood items if you don’t wish to reuse them. Separate the wood from any other components, such as upholstery. That way, you can recycle each part separately. Search online for wood recycling centers in your area or contact a waste management department for more information. You could also incorporate untreated wood into your new craft project.^{[19]
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- Keep in mind that treated and painted wood won’t be accepted by a recycling facility. You may be able to repurpose these pieces at home.
- Patio furniture is an example of recyclable wood. Patio furniture is usually made with untreated hardwood that resists water, so it is safe to take apart and reuse.
- Wood debris like lumber, pallets, and wood trim from construction sites and demolition can also be recycled.

Warnings

Wood is technically compostable, but it takes such a long time to break down that it’s unlikely to be worth it. As a note, treated lumber, plywood, and particleboard are not compostable.^{[20]
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